In golf, a putt typically refers to instances where a player swings a club (typically a putter) to roll a golf ball along a green to put the golf ball in the hole or closer to the hole. The distance of a putt from a golf ball to a hole depending on the course and the shots already played up to that point for that hole can be any distance. Typically, putts range from a few feet to 20 or 30 feet. A long putt, sometimes called a lag, may have a distance up to 60 feet.
The putting performance of a player is important in determining a player's score. For example, on a typical 18-hole course, there are par 3s, par 4s, and par 5s. On a par 3, the hole is supposed to be played in such a way that a player hits the green on his first shot and then uses two putts to hole the ball, which means that putting makes up 66% of the score. On a par 4, the hole is supposed to be played in such a way that a player hits the green on his second shot and then uses two putts to hole the ball, which means that putting makes up 50% of the score. On a par 5, the hole is supposed to be played in such a way that a player hits the green on his third shot and then uses two putts to hole the ball, which means that putting makes up 40% of the score. Indeed, statistics has shown that even professional golfers have used as many as two thirds of their strokes in putting. Common sense suggests that a player should focus his practice time on putting, hoping that his or her putting would be more reliable and more precise. But even the best golfers may not be able to achieve a successful rate of about 60% for a 15-foot putting range.
Putting basics can be broken down to many elements, such as confidence, aim, path, face angle, posture, grip, impact, rhythm, and stability. Many available putting training devices have been designed to assist a player to practice one or more elements, including Z Factor Perfect Putting Machine, EyeLine Golf Putting Sword, Train Eye Golf Putting Trainer, and Path Finder. These devices share a common drawback that they choose to focus on placing the training device in an area that is adjacent to where the golf ball is, but fail to provide a clear alley or path originated from the cup. These devices may help golfers in their grip, posture, or stability, but they are inadequate in training golfers in the elements of aim and path.